Ellis's 'Sexual Inversion' was first published in Germany in 1896. Its English publication became embroiled with controversy, due to the choice of a fraudulent publisher, and its sale in a shop associated with political radicalism. The police took the bookseller George Bedborough to court, and the book was found to be indecent. Subsequently Ellis refused to publish in the UK, and subsequent editions of the book were published in the USA. 'Sexual Inversion' became volume 2 of Ellis's seven volume 'Studies in the Psychology of Sex', published between 1898 and 1928.
For the uninitiated, 'sexual inversion' refers to 'homosexuality', in this case, homosexuality caused by a biological predisposition. Although the book is very dated, it is precisely the insight it offers into developing ideas ab...